Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

 Gives Healing That Comforts

St. Mark 1:40-45
 v. 41-42: “Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. 

In this passage, we can see a leper who overcame a crisis that was before him, he went in search of Christ and knelt in front of Him. According to the law we read in the book of Leviticus, it was very difficult for a leper to live in that community.  “Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’  They must live alone; they must live outside the camp” (Lev. 13:45-46). It was during this period where this leper went in search of Jesus Christ. The complete belief that Jesus would heal him led the leper to overcome these crises. We may have to go through some crises for our faith in Christ to become real.  Crisis comes when we try to protect ourselves from being tainted by the world.  What is pure devotion, James says “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world”. (James 1:27)
“Jesus moved with pity, He stretched out His hand and touched him” (V. 41). Compassion is not just pity or sympathy. It means more than being moved to tears or stripped up emotionally. Compassion means pity and mercy accompanied by a desire to help change things in others’ lives. True compassion moves us to act or to do something. Jesus Christ was moved with compassion to help people several times. He was going throughout villages to teach, proclaim the Gospel, and heal every kind of illness. We live in a world with multiple opportunities to serve the needy, but unfortunately, are distracted by other means than what we should focus on. Prayer and commitment to God’s call will result in providing care to the sick and suffering around us. 
 Jesus advised him “you don’t tell this to anyone”. But he did not obey and told everyone that he was healed by God. Today we are the ones who disobey. Jesus told us to preach the Gospel to all, but can we genuinely do that nowadays through our mouths and action?

 

Prayer
God, you have blessed us abundantly. Forgive our shortcoming in not telling others how You have blessed and healed us.  Guide us to move to do Your will, Amen.


Thought for the Day
Compassion means pity and mercy accompanied by a desire to help change things in others’ lives.
True compassion moves us to do something, to act.

 

Rev. Shaji Kochummen
Long Island Mar Thoma Church

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